The Light Before Darkness
by AkiiChan4
Summary: Before Shiho Miyano took on the alias Ai Haibara, she was a normal girl hoping for a normal life. This is Ai's narrative of the Detective Conan world.
1. Preface

_Exordium_

Memories evaporated as the terror set in. Nothing mattered to me anymore; at this time and place, I only had one desire; to get away. To never see that crooked grin, to never hear those devious plots to kill. Gasping for air, it was only inevitable that I would fall.

_Where is he! I was here only weeks ago…_

I quickly got up, and continued past door after unfamiliar door, silently begging for the pain to stop. Only my determination to escape kept me going. I had every intention to die, and no reason to live. I knew that my escape would only ensure that an endless chase would be established to discover my whereabouts. There was no one I could trust. Almost all of my childhood memories vanquished when I evaded a normal life to follow the footsteps of my parents. And what happened then, when I reached a dead end? Nothing except to continue on, paving the road that might have been their creation.

_Why didn't I die? All of the others did…_

_All of the others… except…_

Finally, I saw it. The windows were as dark as always, but I knew that he would be there. He had to be. Or else…

The pain subsided, and weakness fell in.

I vaguely remember my face splashing into a cold, wet puddle before losing consciousness.


	2. Part I, Chapter One

Part One – The First Dimension

Chapter One.

"Shiho, will you come to the garden with me?"

I turned and looked at my sister.

Akemi was looking at me expectantly. Even though she was more than twice my age, she acted like a seven-year-old when it came to things such as nature, stuffed animals, and magazines. She played Mai Kuraki music endlessly on her computer, and couldn't resist picking flowers in the park. But as her little sister, I had to listen to her. She never got mad, but her disappointment was overwhelming.

Silently, I got up and put papa's lab notebook down. She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the back door.

"I don't get what you SEE in papa's journals," Akemi said, glancing back at me. She opened the back door and pulled me through. "All they ever say is boring stuff, like hydrogen and toxin and weird stuff like that."

"You know what that blonde lady said, when she visited," I protested. "She said daddy was working on a very important project for the business."

"I don't know, Shiho," She said. "It's kind of suspicious, how the people who come over always wear black, don't you think?"

I never really thought about it. Fortunately, Akemi had already directed her attention towards the tulips.

"Isn't it pretty? Mama let me plant these ones."

I was suddenly hungering for the lab notebook. Flowers did not spark a bit of interest in me. "Is that all you wanted to show me?"

Akemi frowned. "You're just like mother, always so impatient with the progress of the experiments!" She tried to hide it, but she was obviously hurt. "Can't you just try to act interested in something other than science? Please?"

I was silent for a moment. "Okay."

Akemi handed me a shovel, and I began to overturn the hard soil. She placed a few seeds next to me. They were obviously watermelon seeds, from the color, shape, and size. If Akemi hadn't eaten watermelon today, she'd probably have no idea what these seeds grew. "Do you think mama would let us grow watermelon?"

"No." Akemi smiled. "But I'm sure I can convince her."

After planting the watermelon seeds, Akemi and I went back inside. Papa and mama weren't there; but that was relatively common, they were always at work, and rarely came home before midnight. It was eerie, always being left home alone. But Akemi and I always made the best of it. I went back up to my room, while Akemi began preparations for dinner.

I picked up the science notebook, and began reading where I left off.

_Apoptoxin 4869_

_Apoptosis is expected, effective immediately_

_*Can activate telomerase_

_*Currently incomplete; requires more research than is available_

_*Side effects not yet determined; chances are 1 in 10,000; rare_

_*To counteract, immune system defenses must be taxed_

I wondered why papa would create this toxin. Judging from the chemical properties listed, this toxin would cause cells to become highly reproductive. It would seem that the only reasonable thing this toxin can do was to increase life span by renewing the age of the cells. And apoptosis… that was the mechanical destruction of the cells. Why were reproductive cells prominent in something where the execution of cells was also prominent? And what were the side effects? It may have been listed as rare, but 1 in 10,000 is not so 'rare'. If everyone in Japan took a dose of APTX 4869, approximately 12,756 people would have said 'side effects'. It was a small percentage, but enough to make those twelve thousand people stand out.

I closed the notebook, and wandered downstairs. Akemi, unaware of my arrival, was happily cooking in front of the stove. I didn't understand why she was always so happy. Onee-chan always said that 60 minutes of unhappiness was an hour wasted, so it was obvious she would follow her own words. But to be happy everyday of the week, every month of the year… didn't she ever grow tired? I personally never smiled. I took after my father, while Akemi reflected mother in everything she did. Akemi turned around, saw me standing, and smiled. "Oh, Shiho! I made your favorite again. Pork teriyaki with extra soy sauce!" She put the plate down in the middle of the table and pulled out a seat for me.

I smiled. "Itadakimasu."


End file.
